Finding Folk

Finding Folk: The Anti-Leagues Club examines the "right to the city" in Gosford, NSW, by challenging privatised, commercial forms of development. This project seeks to reclaim space for community agency, providing a platform for artistic, social, and cultural exchange in a town where local identity often contends with generic urbanisation. Situated adjacent to a large leagues club, it contrasts with this corporate neighbour by championing inclusivity and open, unrestrictive public engagement. Inspired by Henri Lefebvre’s ideas on social space, this project proposes architecture as a liberating force that enhances social interaction, questioning norms of exclusivity and static design in regional urban contexts.

Finding Folk: The Anti-Leagues Club explores a shift from privatised space to community-centred architecture, emerging over time as the leagues club deteriorates.

The brick kiln, once a production site, now stands as a lasting landmark, repurposed to store pottery, symbolising resilience.

The gallery interior showcases works from the Potters Society, the Makers Society, and Marjory Pike, fostering creative exchange and community.

The collaborative artists' halls, designed for shared resources and interaction, foster community and creativity, integrating flexible spaces for diverse practices.

The artists' halls, illustrating shared spaces and interconnected volumes that foster collaboration, creativity, and community.